Shaoxing is best in spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November). Spring brings plum blossoms, mild temperatures, and the fresh green of the canal banks; the Lu Xun quarter and Shen Garden are particularly pleasant in April. Autumn offers clear skies and the dramatic contrast of golden ginkgo trees against the grey-tile Jiangnan architecture.
Summer is hot and humid but the canals and stone-paved lanes stay cool in the shade. The city is busy on weekends when day-trippers come from Hangzhou and Shanghai, but empties on weekday mornings to a more reflective and easier pace. The rice wine distilleries are active year-round but the traditional brewing season begins in winter (after the first frost) — the cold temperatures slow fermentation to produce a cleaner flavour, and visiting in December or January means seeing the distilleries at their most active.